VILLAGERS in Worcestershire are celebrating after the Government suffered a major setback in its plans to build accommodation centres for asylum seekers.

Councillors in Oxfordshire and Nottinghamshire rejected plans to build centres in Bicester and Bingham last night. They called for public inquiries.

If the Government's appeals fail, they will be left with just one site - Throckmorton.

PACT - Protest at the Asylum Centre at Throckmorton - says it is going to make sure the proposal gets the same treatment in Worcestershire.

"Ministers must be left with no uncertainty," said Coun Liz Tucker, leader of PACT.

"Their plans for a super camp that will see refugees dumped in the middle of nowhere and rural communities swamped are completely unacceptable."

The Government has yet to make a formal application to build a similar super camp at the old Throckmorton airfield. The date has reportedly been pushed back to September.

In Nottinghamshire, more than 300 people turned up at Bingham Leisure Centre to see all 54 councillors vote against the plans after a 90-minute debate.

Members of Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire also voted unanimously against the proposal.

Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff welcomed last night's decisions.

"The Government has to take a decision to have a public inquiry," he said. "It is not legally obliged to do so, but it is morally obliged.

"We have to use the opportunity to persuade the Government that these centres are not in the interests of those who

will have to live in them.

"If they go ahead, these centres will destroy the lives of asylum seekers."

Immigration Minister Beverley Hughes said the Government was "obviously disappointed" with the objections but said it still stood by the policy of building accommodation centres for asylum seekers.

"We value and understand the concerns of local people, and their views and comments have been listened to at official and ministerial level," she said.

"However, the Government firmly believes that accommodation centres can be an asset rather than a detriment to local communities."